Furniture assemblies

ABSTRACT

A furniture assembly comprises a piece of sitting furniture and at least one furniture part releasably coupled with said piece of furniture, said furniture part and said piece of furniture each having on confronting sides one coupling flange which is substantially L-shaped in cross section, said flanges extending in parallel and in coupling engagement along at least parts of their lengths and having within said parts of their lengths length portions directed at an angle to the horizontal plane.

llnited States Patent [1 1 Persson et a1.

[ FURNITURE ASSEMBLIES [75] Inventors: Eric Sigrid Persson, Horby; Signe Harriet Persson-Melin, Malmo, both of Sweden [73] Assignee: Expo Nord AB, Horby, Sweden [22] Filed: Feb. 3, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 223,264

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 4, 1971 Sweden 1376/71 [52] U.S. Cl 297/248, 297/239, 297/416 [51] Int. Cl A47c l/124 [58] Field of Search 297/248, 239, 160, '297/441, 445, 457, 416; 108/64, 111, 114;

[56] 1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,990,876 7/1961 Brook 297/239 [11] 3,784,251 [451 Jan. 8, 1974 3,041,107 6/1962 Schaefer 297/248 2,876,275 3/1959 Schulz 52/588 X 3,174,795 3/1965 Chapman 2971160 3,669,497 6/1972 Massonriet...... 297/445 3,601,446 8/1971 Persson et a1 297/457 X 3,677,601 7/1972 Morrison 297/248 3,188,137 6/1965 Sarvas 297/416 X Primary Examinew-FrahciS K. Zugel Attorney-John Lezdey et al.

[57] ABSTRACT A furniture assembly comprises a piece of sitting furniture and at least one furniture part releasably coupled with said piece of furniture, said furniture part and said piece of furniture each having on confronting sides one coupling flange which is substantially L- shaped in cross section, said flanges extending in parallel and in coupling engagement along at least parts of their lengths and having within said parts of their lengths length portions directed at an angle to the horizontal plane.

6 Claims, 15 Drawing Figures PATENTEU 3,784,251

SHEET 2 [IF 4 F/GG 1 FURNITURE ASSEMBLIES In sitting furniture it is desired to have the possibility of mounting attachments thereto to provide a furniture assembly, or of coupling together two or more pieces of sitting furniture to form a furniture assembly.

The present invention satisfies these desiderata by the provision of a simple and inexpensive device which permits' coupling together the furniture assembly with out the use of tools and which ensures that the assembly will have an adequate cohesion.

The present invention thus relates to a furniture assembly which comprises a piece of sitting furniture and at least one furniture part which is releasably coupled therewith and which is an attachment to the piece of furniture or is part of another piece of furniture. Ac-' cording to the invention, the furniture assembly displays the features that a coupling flange of substantially L-shaped crosssection protrudes from each of two confronting sides of the piece of sitting furniture and the furniture part, that the two coupling flanges extend in parallel and in coupling engagement along at least parts of their lengths, and that within said parts of their lengths the coupling flanges have length portions directed vertically and/or obliquely to the horizontal plane. Emdodiments of the invention will be more fully described hereinbelow with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a furniture assembly comprising two chairs directly coupled together; I

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a furniture assembly comprising two chairs coupled together by means of an arm rest bar provided between them;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a furniture assembly comprising a chair and two arm rest bars arranged thereon;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 but of an arm rest bar in a position immediately before it is coupled to the chair;

FIGS. 5 and 6 are views similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 but of a slightly modified form of a furniture assembly;

FIG. 7 is a section on line VIIVII in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 is a section on line VllI-VIII in FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a section on line IX-IX in FIG. 3;

FIGS. 10 to 13 are side views of four different forms of a chair which can be coupled with other identical chairs to form a furniture assembly;

FIGS. 14 and 15 are views illustrating different cross sectional shapes of a bar arranged on the chairs shown in FIGS. 10 to 13. The furniture assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 comprises two identical chairs each having a back rest 1 and a rearwardly inclined seat 2. Each chair has two lateral frame bars 3 which extend along the side edges of the back rest and the seat and form front legs 4 and rear legs flve which converge toward each other in an upward direction. As will appear from FIG. 7, each frame bar three has two longitudinal channels 6, 7. The channel 7 opens through a narrow slot 8 in a side surface of the frame bar. The body-supporting back rest and seat portions of each chair are formed by a piece of cloth or fabric 9 which may be provided with an upholstery and extends between the two frame bars 3 of the chair and has marginal beads 10 located in the channel 7 of the lateral frame bars and being of sufficient thickness in order not to permit withdrawal through the slot 8. The piece of cloth ,9 is kept stretched in a per se known manner between the lateral frame bars 3 of the chair by means of cross bars (not 2 shown) which extend between said lateral frame bars 3.

Each lateral frame bar 3 on its outer side surface has a coupling flange which is substantially L-shaped in cross section and one arm 11 of which is attached to and preferably integral with the bar 3 while the other arm 12 of the coupling flange extends approximately parallel with said outer side of the frame bar 3. The arms 12 situated on one and the other side, respectively, of each chair protrude in opposite directions from the flange arms 11. In the mounted state of the furniture assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 the coupling flanges ll, 12 of the two confronting frame bars 3 of the two chairs extend in parallel and in coupling engagement in that the arm 12 of each coupling flange grasps the other arm 12 of the coupling flange, as will appear from FIG. 7. It will be realized that the coupling flanges 11, 12 on the two chairs can be brought out of coupling engagement by lifting one chair relative to the other chair, but that the coupling engagement cannot be cancelled by attempts at displacing the chairs in relation to each other in the horizontal plane. The described arrangement thus very reliably interlocks the two chairs, whereby a furniture assembly is formed in a simple and efflcient manner.

FIG. 2 shows two chairs which are kept safely coupled together to a furniture assembly by means of an arm rest bar 13 arranged between them. The chairs are of the same design as in FIG. 1 except that the arms 12 of the coupling flanges l1, l2 protrude in the same direction from the arms 11 on the twosides of each chair. This will appear from FIG. 8. When the two chairs are to be coupled to form a furniture assembly the chairs are placed'beside one another with a small clearance between their lateral frame bars three, and an arm rest bar 13 is moved from above down between the chairs into engagement with the coupling flanges ll, 12 of the two confronting lateral frame bars three. As will appear from FIG. 8, the arm rest bar- 13 has two coupling flanges ll, 12 protruding toward either side, the arms 12 of the flanges being directed so as to engage the corresponding arms 12 of the lateral frame bars 3. The arm rest bar 13 is of a configurationcorresponding to that described hereinbelow in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4 so that the coupling flanges ll, 12 thereof can engage the coupling flanges ll, 12 of the lateral frame bars 3 of the chairs within the upper region of the back rest 1 and the upper region of the rear legs 5 as well as in the front region of the seat 2 and the entire region of the front legs 4. Usually, it is advantageous to mount corresponding arm rest bars 13 also on those sides of the chairs which face away from each other, as is shown in FIG. 2.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 the furniture assembly comprises a chair of the type described in conjunction with FIG. 2, and two arm rest bars 14 mounted on this chair. As will appear from FIG. 9, each arm rest bar 14 on one side has a coupling flange 11, 12 for engagement with the coupling flange l l, 12 on the respective lateral frame bar 3 of the chair. As will best appear from FIG. 4, each arm rest bar 14 is bent into an arm rest portion 15 proper, which in mounted state projects from the back rest and seat portions 1, 2, into an end portion 16 connecting onto the arm rest portion proper and bent in conformity with the upper region of the back rest and rear leg portions of the lateral frame bars of the chair, and into an end portion 17 which is bent in conformity with the front legs 4 and the front region of the seat portion 2 of the lateral frame bars of the chair. The arm rest bars 14 are mounted on the lateral frame bars 3 of the chair by downward movement toward said bars 3 from the position in FIG. 4 until the coupling flanges 11, 12 of the arm rest bars 14 have engaged the coupling flanges 11, 12 of the lateral frame bars 3 in the manner appearing from FIG. 9. To attain reliable retention of the arm rest bars these bars can be bent in such a way as to exert by their elasticity a clamping action respectively on the front legs 4 and within the upper region of the back rest portion 1 and the rear legs 5.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show a furniture assembly comprising a chair, and arm rest bars mounted thereon. The chair is of the design already described except that its lateral frame bars have been bent in another manner than in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 as regards the configuration of the rear legs 18. Thus, each lateral frame bar is bent within an intermediate region of the back rest of the chair into a U-shaped loop so as to form a rear leg 18, and the lateral frame bar terminates at the upper end of the back rest portion or there merges in a cross bar exending between the lateral frame bars. The chair shown in FIG. 5 is equipped with two arm rest bars 19 having the configuration illustrated for engagement with coupling flanges on the lateral frame bars of the chair in the manner described in conjunction with FIG. 9 within the region of the rear legs 18 and within the region of the front legs 4 and the front region of the seat. If desired, the arm rest bars 19 can be designed in the manner described in conjunction with FIG. 8 to be able to serve as coupling means for chairs placed beside one another of the design shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

The chair illustrated in FIG. has front legs 20, rear legs 21, a seat 22 and a back rest 23. A bar 24 bent into U-shape or V-shape is provided on each side of the chair and the ends of the bar are attached to one front leg 20 and one rear leg 21, respectively, while the mid portion of the bar is in close proximity to the seat 22 and possibly fastened thereto. The bar 24 which may be made of e.g.. plastics material or metal may have for instance the cross sectional shape shown in FIG. 14. The bar 24 in FIG. 14 is of rectangular cross section and has an inner channel. A coupling flange approximately L-shaped in cross section protrudes from one side of the bar 24, and one arm 25 of the flange is attached to and preferably integral with the bar 24 while the other arm 26 of said L-shaped coupling flange extends approximately in parallel with said side of the bar. In the chair shown in FIG. 10 the two bars 24 are so fastened to the chair that their coupling flanges 25, 26 are located on the sides of the bars facing away from the chair, the arm 26 on one side of the chair being turned upward and on the other side of the chair downward. The coupling flange 25, 26 which extends continuously along the respective U-shaped or V-shaped bar 24 thus runs along a line which has sections oppositely inclined to the horizontal plane.

When the chair shown in FIG. 10 is to be coupled with another identical chair, said other chair-is lifted and put down close to the chair shown in FIG. 10 so that the downwardly directed coupling flange arm 26 thereof will grasp the upwardly directed coupling flange arm 26 of the chair shown in FIG. 10. The coupling position is indicated in FIG. 14 where the bar 24 of the other chair having the coupling flange 25, 26 is indicated by dash-and-dot lines. Since the coupling flanges 25, 26 extend in the manner described along a line having sections oppositely inclined to the horizontal plane, the coupled chairs obviously cannot be separated simply by relative displacement in the forwardrearward direction of the chairs: for the release of the coupling engagement one chair has to be lifted. It is obvious that the coupling flange 25, 26 can extend discontinuously instead of continuously along the bar 24. However, the latter alternative is generally to be preferred.

The chair shown in FIG. 11 has a seat and back rest assembly 22, 23 which on each side is carried by a bar 24 bent into U-shape and for instance of the configuration shown in FIG. 14. The two U-arms of each bar 24 constitute a front leg and a rear leg of the chair, while the web portion of each bar extends along the seat 22 of the chair. On one side of the chair the coupling flange arm 26 of the bar 24 is directed outwardly from the U formed by the bar, and on the other side of the chair the coupling flange arm 26 is directed inwardly into the U formed by the bar.

The chair shown in FIG. 12 is similar to that shown in FIG. 11, except that the two U-bars 24 on each side of the chair extend some distance upwardly beyond the seat 22 so that the web portion of the U-bars constitute an arm rest.

The chair shown in FIG. 13 has a back rest 23 which over a U-shaped rear leg 27 merges in the seat 22 which in turn merges in a front leg 28. On each side of the chair is arranged a bar 24 bent into U-shape for example of the kind shown in FIG. 14. The downwardly directed U-arms of the U-shaped bar 24 are attached to the rear leg 27 and the front leg 28, and the web portion of the U-bar constitutes an arm rest. The coupling flange arm 26 of one bar 24 is oppositely directed to the arm 26 of the other bar 24.

The embodiments shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 provide a particularly stable and reliable coupling engagement and are also advantageous from the viewpoint of manufacture.

FIG. 15 shows a cross section of a bar 29 which is particularly suitable for use in the embodiments according to FIGS. 11 to 13. The bar is of rectangular cross section and has two inner channels, and the coupling flange 25, 26 is arranged on one narrow side of the bar.

We claim:

1. A furniture assembly comprising a piece of sitting furniture and at least one furniture component releasably coupled to said piece of sitting furniture, said piece of sitting furniture having front and rear legs inclined to a horizontal plane and being provided with an integral, lateral coupling flange of substantially L- shaped cross-section extending along at least the upper portion of the front leg and at least the upper portion of the rear leg, said coupling flange further including a continuous connecting portion extending between the top of the front leg and the top of the rear leg, said at least one furniture component also being provided with an integral, lateral coupling flange of substantially L- shaped cross-section for cooperative engagement with said lateral coupling flange of said piece of sitting furniture along at least portions of the front leg and the rear leg.

2. A furniture assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said piece of sitting furniture includes back-rest and seat portions and at least a portion of the connecting portion of the coupling flange of said piece of sitting furniture extends along at least parts of the lateral edges of said back-rest and seat portions.

3. A furniture assembly comprising a piece of sitting furniture and an arm-rest bar, said piece of sitting fumiture having a back-rest portion and a seat portion, a lateral frame bar extending along a lateral edge of the back-rest and seat portions and forming front and rear legs of said piece of sitting furniture, said legs being inclined to a horizontal plane, coupling flanges of substantially L-shaped cross-section extending laterally from said frame bar and said arm-rest bar for cooperative engagement along at least a portion of the front and rear legs of said piece of sitting furniture.

4. A furniture assembly as claimed in claim 3 and further comprising a second piece of sittingfurniture corresponding to said first mentioned piece of sitting furniture, and wherein said arm-rest bar has a coupling flange on both lateral sides thereof, whereby said armrest bar is releasably engageable with said first and second pieces of sitting furniture to couple said pieces of furniture together with the arm-rest bar therebetween.

S. A furniture assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one furniture component comprises a second piece of sitting furniture corresponding to said first mentioned piece of sitting furniture, and wherein the continuous connecting portion of said coupling flange on both pieces of sitting furniture form arm-rest portions whereby when said pieces of sitting furniture are coupled together by said coupling flanges, engagement occurs between the arm-rest portions and at least portions of the front leg and the rear leg.

6. A furniture assembly as'claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one furniture component comprises a second piece of sitting furniture corresponding to said first mentioned piece of sitting furniture and wherein the continuous connecting portion of said coupling flange on both pieces of sitting furniture form the lateral seat portions of both pieces of sitting furniture whereby when said pieces of sitting furniture are coupled to gether, engagement occurs between said lateral seat portions and at least portions of the front leg and the rear leg.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3784251 Dated January 8, 1974 Inv n Eric Sigrid Persson and Signe Harriet Persson-Melin It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

In the heading include:

Signed and sealed this 7th day of May 1971;.

(SEAL) Atte st:

7 EDWARD 1-i.FLETCPE;L,JR. O. MARSHALL DANN Atte sting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM PO-1050 (10-69) us GOVERNMENT rnm'rmc umc: an o-su-au, 

1. A furniture assembly comprising a piece of sitting furniture and at least one furniture component releasably coupled to said piece of sitting furniture, said piece of sitting furniture having front and rear legs inclined to a horizontal plane and being provided with an integral, lateral coupling flange of substantially L-shaped cross-section extending along at least the upper portion of the front leg and at least the upper portion of the rear leg, said coupling flange further including a continuous connecting portion extending between the top of the front leg and the top of the rear leg, said at least one furniture component also being provided with an integral, lateral coupling flange of substantially L-shaped cross-section for cooperative engagement with said lateral coupling flange of said piece of sitting furniture along at least portions of the front leg and the rear leg.
 2. A furniture assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said piece of sitting furniture includes back-rest and seat portions and at least a portion of the connecting portion of the coupling flange of said piece of sitting furniture extends along at least parts of the lateral edges of said back-rest and seat portions.
 3. A furniture assembly comprising a piece of sitting furniture and an arm-rest bar, said piece of sitting furniture having a back-rest portion and a seat portion, a lateral frame bar extending along a lateral edge of the back-rest and seat portions and forming front and rear legs of said piece of sitting furniture, said legs being inclined to a horizontal plane, coupling flanges of substantially L-shaped cross-section extending laterally from said frame bar and said arm-rest bar for cooperative engagement along at least a portion of the front and rear legs of said piece Of sitting furniture.
 4. A furniture assembly as claimed in claim 3 and further comprising a second piece of sitting furniture corresponding to said first mentioned piece of sitting furniture, and wherein said arm-rest bar has a coupling flange on both lateral sides thereof, whereby said arm-rest bar is releasably engageable with said first and second pieces of sitting furniture to couple said pieces of furniture together with the arm-rest bar therebetween.
 5. A furniture assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one furniture component comprises a second piece of sitting furniture corresponding to said first mentioned piece of sitting furniture, and wherein the continuous connecting portion of said coupling flange on both pieces of sitting furniture form arm-rest portions whereby when said pieces of sitting furniture are coupled together by said coupling flanges, engagement occurs between the arm-rest portions and at least portions of the front leg and the rear leg.
 6. A furniture assembly as claimed in claim 1 wherein said at least one furniture component comprises a second piece of sitting furniture corresponding to said first mentioned piece of sitting furniture and wherein the continuous connecting portion of said coupling flange on both pieces of sitting furniture form the lateral seat portions of both pieces of sitting furniture whereby when said pieces of sitting furniture are coupled together, engagement occurs between said lateral seat portions and at least portions of the front leg and the rear leg. 